Weighted sleep sacks and swaddles deemed unsafe for babies

Ellen Fitzpatrick

It has been claimed that weighted sleep sacks are not safe for babies.

A US association is calling for voluntary safety standards to be brought in due to the dangers they are believed to pose.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is asking for voluntary safety standards on weighted sleep sacks according to a letter sent to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on June 15th.

It claims that the product is dangerous for babies. This is the second step the organisation has taken over the last two years to stop the use of weighted swaddle clothing and sleep sacks.

“Weighted swaddle clothing or weighted objects within swaddles are not safe and therefore not recommended,” their recommendation reads.

In a letter sent to the CPSC this month, they insisted: “The evidence available at this time does not indicate that weighted swaddle products are safe, nor does it demonstrate that they are effective in helping babies sleep longer or with fewer disruptions.

“Further, it is hypothesized that impaired arousal may contribute to [the] risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), so a product that decreases arousal may increase the risk of SIDS.”

There are currently no warnings in place when it comes to weighted sleep sacks despite one baby dying while wearing one in 2021 in Washington.

It has, however, not been made clear if this was the cause of the child’s death, according to the CPSC’s database. The baby was found on an infant lounger which can be a risk for asphyxiation and suffocation.

Nested Bean and Dreamland Baby are two of the most popular brands for weighted sleep sacks and in a statement to Parents, they insisted their products are safe.

“Dreamland Baby proudly stands behind the efficacy and safety of its gently weighted sleep solutions. Since launching in 2019, the company has sold over half a million weighted sleep sacks and swaddles and has never had an adverse event caused by its weighted sleep solutions,” A representative for the brand told the publication.

While a representative for Nested Bean added: “To help sleep-deprived parents, Nested Bean innovated a new way of comforting infants with its gently weighted sleepwear. We continue to understand the AAP’s position on the research we have performed so far. We highly regard their feedback and hope to sufficiently answer their concerns through published work. In the meantime, we maintain that our products are safe when used as directed and continue to help our satisfied customers.”

The AAP are now urging the CPSC and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to “avoid a repeat of what happened with inclined sleepers, in-bed sleepers, and other novel sleep-related products,” after they were linked to more than 100 deaths.